Load discharging car



Nov. 29, 1932. A. CAMPBELL LOAD DISCHARGING CAR Filed Oct. 26, 1931 6Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 29, 1932. A. CAMPBELL 8 LOAD DISCHARGING CAR FiledOct. 26, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Evy] v A.

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INVENTOR. RGYLE CAMPBELL A TTORNEY Nov. 29, 1932. A. CAMPBELL 1,889,171

LOAD DISCHARGING CAR Filed Oct. 26. 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q Q Q Q I l Il l I l I I INVENTOR. R Y E CAM PBELL BYM W ATTORNEY.

NOV. 29, 1932. A CAMPBELL LOAD DISCHARGING CAR Filed Oct. 26. 1931 6Sheets-Sheet 5 N M m MM w oo 5 wow 45w EN now @a fii EN EN. 9N KR Q N.XN m; :Q

NOV. 29, 1932. CAMPBELL 1,889,171

LOAD DISGHARGING CAR Filed OCT,- 26. 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. AGY E CAMPBELL J W ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 29, 1932 ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CZ'YECAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGRT ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, (33? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS LQAD DISCHARGING GAR i Application filed October26, 1931. Serial No. 571,083.

My invention relates to improvements in load discharging cars.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved door andcooperating raising and supporting mechanism particularly adapted forgondola cars of the type having a side sill or other obstructiondepending below the floor of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved door operatingmechanism of the type having a bodily movable shaft adapted to movebeneath the door for support of the same and movable outwardly beyondthe free edge of the door for releasing the doors and discharging theload;

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved doorsupporting means in combination with an improved door bracing structuresuch as will operate to minimize strains on the door and door operatingmechanism with the door either= in its open or closed position.

A still further object-of the invention is to so dispose all parts ofthe door operating mechanism as to prevent interference or weakening ofthe structural parts of the car and render said operating means visibleand accessible to permit ease of operation.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide integral doorbeanis'such as will.

operate to bridge the space intermediate the hinge supports and doorsupporting mechanism in a manner to provide adequate reinforcement forthe door, andalso for supporting the door in a manner such as willrelieve the door supporting means of undue strain.

My invention also contemplates the application of doors, door operatingmechanism and parts to a car of standard construction 40 with all partsdisposed'outwardly of the car framing in such a manner as to avoidweakening of the structural elements of the car, and to provide fortransferring loads from the door to the door operating mechanism andthence to the side sill of the car.

My invention further resides in certain detail of parts such as will befully pointed out hereinafter and claimed.

For further comprehension of my invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein my improved construc tion is shown asapplied to a so-called gondola car having drop doors hinged adjacent thelongitudinal center of car and opening outwardly for discharging theload to the side of the track.

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a portion of a car showing a pair of doorstogether with the associated car construction, said view illustratingapproximately one-half the width of the car. i

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional transverse view taken substantially onaline 2-2 of Fig. 1, the door indicated in closed position by full linesand in open position by conventional dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical elevational View of that portionof thecar illustrated in Fig. 1, certain parts'of the side sill being brokenaway to more fully illustrate the door operating mechanism parts.

Fig. 4 is a fractional transverse vertical sectional view takenthroughthe car and on a line 44 of Fig. 3, said view illustrating onlythe portionof the car adjacent the side sill and showing the dooroperating shaft rotating means. i

' Fig. 5 is a fractional vertical transverse sectional'view takenadjacent the side sill of the car and on a line 55 of Fig. 3, said viewillustrating the creeper arrangement for maintaining the shaft againstreverse rotation and for locking the said shaft in the final closedposition beneath the doors.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical elevational view of a portion of Fig.3 illustrating the doors in the open position.

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a portion of a carshowing a modified form of construction wherein a cross beam memher isextended an appreciable distance below the side sill and a modified doorbrace is employed.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical elevational view taken through thatportion of the car shown in Fig; 7 and on a line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fractional transverse sectional view taken on a line 99 ofFig. 8 and illustrating the shaft locking means.

And Fig. is a fractional transverse sectional view taken on a line 10-10of Fig. 8 and illustrating the shaft rotating means.

In said drawings, the car framing structure is shown as including alongitudinal centersill formed of a pair of vertical channel members 10(one of which only is shown), said members being united by a top coverplate 11. At the side of the car there is a side sill member 12alsoofchannel shape construction and having its upper and lower flanges13 and 14 inwardly disposed, the top flange 13 lying substantially inalignment with the top of the centersill structure. EX-

tending transversely of the car between said centersill and side sillsare a plurality of' cross members indicated at 15 and 16, the formercorresponding in depth to the side sill.. The cross beam member 16inclines from the lower portion of the centersill to the lower portionof the side sill, and both.

of said cross beams include vertical web sections ,17 and upper andlower outstanding flanges 18 and 19, respectively. The members 16 on theopposite sides of the centersill are tied transversely across the lowerportion of the centersill by a bottom cover plate 20 which extendscontinuously between the side sills. Certain of the cross beams arefurther tied across the plane of the centersill by top cover plates 21,said top plates adjacent the sides of the car being coped at 22 toaccorm modate vertical'inside gussets 23. In alignment. with each"of'the cross beams there'is provided side stakes 24 which are riveted tothe side sill and extend upwardly above the floor for cooperation withthe inside gussets 23.

The floor of-thecar includes fixed floor sections'25, 26 and 27extending adjacent the sides of the car, along the top of the crossbeams, andabove the centersills, respectively, the edges of said floorsections serving to define-discharge openings which are adapted to beclosedby the pivotally mounted bottom doors A. Around the sides ofthedischarge openings there areprovided longitudinal and transverse edgeplates 28, 29 and 30, respectively, said edge plates being carried bythe. fixed floor. sections and bolted thereto and having edge portionsprojecting into. overlapping relation with the associated dischargedoors.

' Inasmuch as the construction of each dumping door A is'of similar.construction, the description herein willbe confined to only one of saiddoors.

Eachdoor A is pivotally mounted atv 31 on hinge brackets 32, there beingpreferably three hinge supports per door. The door, which may be ofany-suitable construction, is shown in this embodiment as includinga'plurality of boards 33 bolted or otherwise secured to a framestructure composed of longitudinal and transverse bracing members,

substantially normal to the main plane of thedoor and having one flange38 underlying the door boards and the opposite flange 39 spaced from theunderside of the door boards. The central hinge brace 35, which ispreferably of angle shape with one flange 4O underlying. the doorboards, is bent at its outer end to present a flange 41 secured to thefront beam member at-42, and adjacent the hinged end of the door saidbrace is provided with a hinge strap 43.

The members 36, of which there are two per door, are each preferablyformed of a onepiece integral construction of cast metal and includea'main weblike portion 44 which is generally disposed at an angle normalto the main plane of the door and secured to the main body of the doorby an underlying flange portion 45. Adjacent the hinge end of the dooreach beam member 36 is formed with an integral portion 46 having a hingeeye 47 wherebymounting is efl'ected on the associated hingebutt bracket32 by means of a pivot 48. The portion 46 extends at an angle substantially at right angles to the hinge axis of the door and is spacedan appreciable distance frointhe adjacent side edge of the door.

Adjacent the outer or swinging edge of the door, each said member 36 isprovided with another portion 49 which also generallycxtends in a planesubstantially at right angles to the hinge axis of the door, saidportion 49 however being disposed relatively closer to the adjacent sideedge of the door than the hinge portion 46, and, as will be observed byreference to the plan view, Fig. 1, the beam 36 is formed with offsets50 and 51 therein, thereby disposing the intermediate connectingportion52 at an angle between said respective portions 46 and 49.

Adjacent the front beam member 34, the

underlying flange 45 is enlarged. and extended lengthwise of the frontbeam to present a triangular shaped construction 53 which in effectprovides a gusset connection between the front beam upper flange 38through the medium of a plurality of rivets 54. The depending web-likeportion adjacent the outer edge of the door is extended downwardly andbraced relatively to the web 37 of the front. beam member by an integraltriangular shaped wall 55 which is ext-ended lengthwise adjacent to thewall 53 and is secured to the web 37 by three rivets 56. The walls 53and 55 in cooperation with the main web portion 44 provide a three wallbox-like integral con struction which fits into the angle definedbyeffectively brace the door hinge beams against vertical, horizontaland torsional displacement. The lower margin of the beam 36 isreinforced by an outstanding flange 57 which, in cooperation with theupper flange 45, provides a channel-shaped construction, and which infurther cooperation with the end wall 55, there is provided astrongpan-shaped construction for the door hinge beam.

Each beam 36 is provided with a downwardly and forwardly projectingextension 58 which extends to a position below the side sills and crossbeams and is there formed with a rounded serrated surface 59. Adjacentsaid surface 59 there is provided spaced walls 606O which provide anopening 61 within which a link 62 is pivotally mounted at 63. The linkconstitutes the terminal member of a flexible connection 64'whichextends between the door'and shaft 66 in a manner to be describedhereinafteer. I

From the lower portion of thedepending flange 37 to the outer extremityofthe serrated surface, the projecting portion of the beam 36 presentsan upper inclined wall 65 which serves to brace the door seat relativelyto the front beam. The operating shaft 66 is mounted in slotted bearings67 and 68. Each bearing is provided with an. elongated slot 69 formedadjacent its outer end with a depressed portion '70. This depressedportion 70 is for the purpose of retaining the shaftin its outermostposition beyond the path of movement of the free edge of the door brace,thereby permitting the extremity of the door brace to pass the shaft andassociated parts during the movement of the 'door from the open toclosed position or vice versa. Each bearing bracket is extended beneaththe side sill member 12 and secured at 11-1 to the lower flange 14thereof.

The intermediate bearing bracket 68 is provided with horizontal andvertical flanges 71 and 72, respectively, and is thereby united with thecross beam by rivets 7 3 and 7 4. The lower bearing portion of saidbracket is extended lengthwise of the shaft for an appreciable distancebeyond the said securing flanges as indicated at 75 and 7 6inorder tobring the said bearing-in near proximity to the door brace and therebyreduce the bending strain on the shaft. 1 I

The respective bearings 67 are formed of substantially Z-shape with onewall 77 tending horizontally and the other wall 7 8 extending in avertical direction and overlv ing the vertical web 17 of the cross beam;It will be noted that this construction provides for a direct support ofthe bearing by means of the lower cross beam cover plate 17 and also forthe support of the bearing, in two distinct planes-that is, both inhorizontal and vertical planes.

Cooperable with the serrated bearing portions 59 of the door brace arewinding sheaves 79 rigidly secured to the shaft 66. Each said windingsheave is formed with spiral guideway 80 and includes at one end theserrated. wheel 81. The serrated wheei 81 is disposed in alignment withthe serrated portion 59 on the door and the respective serrated portionson the door and shaft being adapted to register and interengage when theshaft is in operative supporting relation with the door.

The flexible connections 6% which extend between the door and shaftoperate to raise the door by rotation of the shaft and thereafter bringthe shaft to a supporting position beneath the door, said connections64: being attached at one end to the door by means of the terminal link62 and to the winding sheave 79 by means of jaws 82-82, the latter beingdisposed on the end of the winding sheave opposite to the serrated wheel81.

At one end the operating shaft is provided with door rotating meansindicated at B, Figs. 2, 4 and 5, and shaft retaining means indicated atC, both of said devices being preferably located beneath one of the.cross beam members and immediately adjacent one of the bearings. Theoperating shaft 66 is 6)!- tended through the end bearing 67 and beyondthe same for the purpose of receiving said devices.

The shaft rotating means B includes a ratchet wheel 83 rigidly securedto the end of the shaft and having hub portions 84 and 85, respectively,disposed on opposite sides thereof. Mounted on hub 84 is a looselymounted lever element 86 having a socket portion 87 formed mounted onsaid lever is. an operating pawl 88, said pawl being adapted to haveengagement with. the ratchet wheel 83 .for engagement with the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel to rotate the shaft in either direction.

The shaft rotating and locking mechanism C is to prevent the shaft fromrotation in a reverse direction either during the closing of the door orafter the doors have been placed in closed position. This locking meansin cludes a toothed ratchet wheel 89 secured to the shaft, a creeper 9Oloosely mounted on a hub 91 formed integrally with the ratchet wheel 89,a pawl 92 pivotally mounted on the creeper, anda locking dog 93 adaptedto lock the pawl 92 relatively to'the ratchet wheel.

The pawl 92 and dog 93are mounted on lugs formed integrally with anoutwardly projecting, arm 95 on the creeper. A tie plate 96 overliesboth the dog and the pawl and serves to retain these members in fixedrelation to each other. Opposite to the arm 95 there is an inwardlyextending arm 97 with which a slotted bracket 98 is adapted to cooperateto prevent turning movement of the creeper as indicated at 99. Thedisposition of the relatively to the axis of the shaft. The bracket 98is preferably formed of angular section and is rivetedor otherwisesecured to the associated cross beam bottom cover plate,

structure, and therefore the bending tend-- ency on the shaft ismaterially reduced. With the doors in the open position and supported asindicated in Fig. 6, the chains form the support for the door to limitopening movement thereof, and it will be observed that the chains spreadoutwardly towards the lower portion of the door thereby providing for agenerous spacing between the chains ad acent the main body of the door,thus allowing for free discharge of the load over the free edge of thedoors." The-normal tendency with the chains in such position would be tocause.

overturning of the door beams in the direction of the chains, butinasmuch as said beams are braced in different. direct-ions by thegusset Portionson the hinge beams, and the door beams are inclinedtowards the hinge brackets, such twisting movement of the beams is '7prevented.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, my improvedconstruction is shown as applied to a car having somewhat smaller doorsand in which certain of the cross beams of the car are extendedoutwardly beneath the side sill. In this embodiment, the center sillconstruction is indicated at 200, the side sill at 201, and thetransverse cross beams at 202 and 203, the latter being coped out at 204and I. extended below the side sill, as indicated at The discharge doorsD are pivotally mounted on hinge brackets 206 carried by the centersill, each door consisting of a plurality of boards 207 braced ontheunderside by longitudinal and transverse bracing beams. as indicated at208 and 209, respectively, the former being preferably of Z-shape andthe latter consisting of a pair of integral cast metal hinge beams. Eachof said beams 209 have portions 210 and 211 disposed in a plane at rightangles to the axis of the door and spaced lengthwise of the doorfrom-each other and integrally united by an angularly disposed portion212, the various bends being indicated at 213 and 214. The beam adjacentthe free edge of the door slopes downwardly beneath and beyond the frontdoor beam and is formed on its under surface with a rounded serratedseat 215 adapted to have supporting cooperation with a correspondinglyserrated surfa'ce-216 carried by operating shaft 217. The hinge beams209 adjacent the free edge of the door are formed with extended surfaces218 and 219, which, respectively, extend horizontally and verticallylengthwise of the front beam member 208 and are S cured to said memberby a plurality of rivets as 220 and 221. The wall 219 is deflected belowthe front beam, as indicated at 222, and conforms in shape to theprojecting portion of the beam. Adjacent the serrated seat 011 the doorthe beam is provided with an opening 223 adapted to receive the terminallink 224 of a flexible connection 225 connecting the shaft and door. Theshaft is mounted in the slotted bearing brackets 226, 227 and 228,respectively, and is adapted to move into supporting relation with thedoor. The shaftrotating and shaft-locking means indicated at E and F,respectively, are located on the end of the shaft adjacent the bearing228, the latter being provided with an integrally formed guiding recess229 through which the projecting portion 230 of a creeper 231 is adaptedto extend, said creeper 231 having associated therewith ratchet wheel232 and pawl and dog means, as indicated at 233 and 234. respectively tomaintain the shaft against rotation.

The shaft rotating means E includes a ratchet wheel 235 fixed to theshaft, and a socketed lever and pawl means indicated at 236 and 237,respectively.

I claim:

1. In a railway car, the combination with a hinged door; of bracingmeans for the underside of the door, including a pair of bracesextending from the hinge edge of the door towards the swinging edgethereof, said braces adjacent the hinged edge of the door being spacedan appreciable distance from the side edges of. the door and divergingoutwardly from each other towards the free edge of the door; and abodily movable shaft adapted to engage the said braces near the freeedge of the door, said engaging portion of each brace extendingsubstantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

2. In a car door of the character described, 1

adapted to be pivotally hinged adjacent one edge and movably supportedadjacent the free edge, the combination of means for re inforcing theunderside of the door, including integral braces extending from thehinged edge of the door and diverging outwardly toward the freeed'ge ofthe door whereby said beams at the rear edge of the door are spacedrelatively close to each other and at the front edge of the door arespaced outwardly to provide means adjacent the immediate corners of thedoor for cooperation with the door operating mechanism.

3. As an article ofmanufacture an integral hinge door brace constructionfor discharge doors for railway cars adapted to span the distanceintermediate the hinged edge of the door near the rear edge thereof, anddoor supporting means disposed adjacent the swinging edge of the door,said brace having projecting portions extending beyond the door at therear and front edges of the door and generally in a plane substantiallyat right angles to the hinged axis of the door, and being spaced fromeach other lengthwise of the door whereby said beam at the rear edge ofthe door is spaced a greater distance from the side edge of the doorthan at the front edge thereof, and a connecting portion underlying thedoor and secured thereto, said portion extending at an angle to saidrespecive projecting portions and integrally uniting the same;

4. In a railway car door, the combination with the body thereof; of adepending marginal reinforcement flange adjacent the free edge of thedoor forming with the body of the door an angularly relatedconstruction; a combined integral hinge and bracing member adapted tofit in the angle defined by the said depending flange and the body ofthe door, said bracing member having a depend ing web section extendinga-t'an angle to the main direction of the said marginalre inforcementand having angularly related walls formed integrally with the saiddepending web and respectively overlying the body of the door and thedepending marginal flange of the door to provide a three wall box-shapedsection, said Walls which overlie the marginal flange being extendedlengthwise of the said flange and secured thereto by a plurality ofsecuring means whereby an extended connection is provided between thesaid marginal flange and the hinge beam to prevent overturning of tiesaid hinge beam under torsional strains.

5. In a railway car door of the character described adapted to bepivotally supported adjacent one edge thereof and adapted to be movablysupported adjacent the free edge thereof by movable door supportingmeans; the combination of a reinforcing beam member extending adjacentto andparallel with the free edge of the door, said beam member beingformed with a. flange underlying the main body of the door and having aflange depending from the body of the door, a pair of integral hingebeam members adapted to span the distance intermediate the said doorsupports at the respective edges of the door, said hinge beam membersbeing of generally pan-shaped form and fitting into the angle defined bythe main body of the door and the depending flange of the front beammember, each said pan-shape member adjacent the front door beam being ofextended depth in the general direction of the front door beam and saidextended portion of the beam being secured to said front door beamwhereby a bracing connection is obtained between the front'door beam andthe door brace; anda projecting portion formed integrally with eachhinge beam andextending beyond the front door beam, said last namedextension llZtVlll formed inte rall therewith a seat for sapportingcooperation with the movable door supporting means.

6. In a railway car door, the combination with the bodythereof; ofunder-bracing for thevsaid door, including a continuous margi-nalreinforcing flange adjacent the front edge of the door, a beam memberadapted to extend in a direction at an angle to the mar s flange and thebody of adjacent the front margin of the door and having one flangeunderlying the body of the door and secured thereto and having a depending web; an integral hinge-member extending at an angle to the saidfront beam member and having'a flange underlying the body of the doorand the underlying flange of the front beam member and secured to saidrespective members, and an integral Wall connecting said flange anddepending web of the hinge member and extending parallel to andoverlying the web of the front beam member, said last named wall incooperation with the underlying flange and depending web of the hingedbrace member providing a three wall'box-shaped construction adapted toform a bracing connection between the front beam member and the hingedmember to prevent Vertical, horizontal and torsional displacementbetween said respective menibers; and an extension formed integrallywith said box-shaped section and including spaced walls adapted toreceive the terminal link of adoor connection and also incorporating anintegral serrated seat for cooperation with door supporting means.

8. In a railwaycar, as an article of manufacture, a door brace forreinforcing the under surface of a hinged door and adapted to cooperatewith a beam extending lengthwise of the door adjacent the free edgethereof, said beam having adjacent one end thereof integral means forhingedly supporting the door and having at the opposite end thereof abox-like structure having walls ex tending respectively in the generaldirection of the; beam and secured thereto and also in the direction ofmovement of the door in both horizontal and vertical planes, said threewalls being integrally formed to present a box-like section of greaterdepth than the I a. remainder of the said beam.

9. As an article of manufacture for a pivotally hinged door, a doorbrace adapted to be positioned beneath the door and extend as aunitarystructure from the hinged edge 1 9 of the door to the free edge thereofforsupporting cooperation with door supporting means, said brace at therear and front edges of the door being provided with projecting portionsspaced from each other lengthwise i of the door; and an angularlyrelated. portion extending between said respective projecting portions,said beam adjacent the outer edge of the door being provided with abox-like portion presenting walls extending in three diflerent planes,one of said walls lying substantially normal to the main plane of thedoor and in the direct-ion of movement of the door and the other twowalls extending in a direction lengthwise of the'door and integrallyunited with said first named wall, said last named two-walls being ofgreater depth than the remaining portions of the beam and presentinggusset-like portions for v bracing the door beam against torsional disiplacement. 1

10. In a railway car door construction a door of the type adapted to bepivotally hinged adjacent one edge thereof and supported adjacent thefree edge thereof by means of movable door supporting means,

a pair of integral braces disposed adjacent therespective side edges ofthe door andextending from the hinge end of the door to 7 said doorsupporting means, said hinge braces at the rear edge of the door beingspaced an appreciable distance from the side edges of thedooranddiverging away from each other as the free edge of the door isapproached whereby said beams adjacent the front edge of the door lieimmediately adjacent the corners of the door, a reinforcing marginalflange extending lengthwise of the door adjacent the free edge thereofand intersecting 50 the respective hinge beams and secured thereto, eachsaid hinge beam having 'enlarged gusset-shaped integral flanged portionsextending in the direction'of and into overlying relation with saidfront marginal beam and secured thereto.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

